Chapter 88 The Mastermind Behind the Scenes

Tan Qingjiu narrowed her eyes. So this was their plan—to make the entire city aware of the incident, to force her into marrying into the Prince Duan’s household by ripping open her wounds and inviting the whole city to watch. Was that truly the right thing to do?

Though Tan Qingjiu was not the original Tan Qingjiu and cared nothing for the so-called reputation attached to this matter, she still felt a wave of disgust in her heart upon seeing the sort of father the original body had. It seemed that whether it was Tan Qingjiu herself or the much-rumored Tan Yunge, who was said to be dearly loved by Tan Yun, in his eyes, neither was truly a daughter—just pieces on his chessboard.

He set them upon his board, and whichever piece proved useful, he would glance at a few more times, use a few more times. When a piece lost its usefulness, he would simply abandon it, sweeping it from the board without a second thought.

Lowering her gaze, a cold glint flashed through Tan Qingjiu’s eyes. “I will listen to you, Father. I know you do all this for my own good. I believe in you.”

“Naturally.” Tan Yun seemed very satisfied with this obedient display, a faint smile curling at his lips. “I am your father. Of course, everything I do is for your sake. Don’t worry, I will handle this matter properly.”

Having said this, Tan Yun finally looked at her again. “Did you know that your maternal grandfather and grandmother have returned to the capital?”

“My grandfather? My grandmother?”

The probing look in Tan Yun’s eyes could not have been more obvious, but Tan Qingjiu merely feigned confusion. “I… actually have a grandfather and grandmother?”

“But I seem to recall I have never met them? When Mother passed away, they never appeared, did they?”

A calculating glint flashed in Tan Yun’s eyes as he nodded. “That’s right.”

“It’s no wonder you don’t know them. Your maternal grandparents never liked me, but your mother was determined to marry me, and for that, they held much resentment. Later, your grandfather angered His Majesty and was exiled. When he left, he even wanted to take your mother with him.”

“But by then, your mother and I already had you. They only wanted to take her, not you. Your mother refused, and from then on your grandparents severed all ties with her.”

“Your mother thought they were simply angry and would come around, but she never expected them to be so heartless. After leaving the capital, they never contacted her again.”

“Today, when I entered the palace, I happened to see your grandfather in audience. Only then did I learn they had returned.”

Tan Yun sighed, his eyes full of melancholy. “The laughable thing is, your grandfather didn’t even know your mother had been dead for years. As soon as he saw me, he stormed over, furious, demanding to know where she was—acting as if he wanted to stir up trouble all over again.”

“I told him your mother had passed away. He immediately changed his tune and accused me of murdering her, making a scene before His Majesty, insisting the death be reinvestigated.”

Tan Yun pressed his forehead, looking pained. “Neither His Majesty nor I had ever encountered someone so shameless. In the end, there was no choice but to agree to reopen the investigation.”

“Let them investigate, then. I have a clear conscience and fear no scrutiny. But I think he may come looking for you.”

Feigning bewilderment, Tan Qingjiu lifted her hand and pointed at herself. “Me? What for?”

“You are his granddaughter, and lately your fame as a divine healer has spread through the capital. Now that he’s back, he’ll be eager to secure his position here. Many of your patients are people of high status—he may well wish to use you to make connections.”

“I just wanted to warn you in advance. If he comes, you must be wary. He’s always been adept at making a scene and telling lies. You are young and inexperienced; I’m afraid you’ll be deceived by his stories.”

Tan Qingjiu glanced up at Tan Yun. When it came to telling lies, Shen Chang’an was still no match for Tan Yun. Compared to Shen Chang’an, it was Tan Yun’s deceit that truly unsettled her.

“Is that so?”

“Of course.” Tan Yun sighed. “But no matter how he twists things or tries to deceive you, remember these two facts. First, Shen Chang’an never cared for you or your mother. If he had, you wouldn’t have gone your whole life without seeing him—even at your mother’s death, he did not appear.”

“Second, as for your mother’s suicide—I was shocked too. But I did witness her, with my own eyes, entangled with another man. Because I saw it myself, it was all the harder to accept. Still, for your sake, I did not pursue the matter; I simply advised her to think of you and not to err again.”

“I never expected she would become pregnant with another man’s child. Perhaps that realization shocked her into ending her life. But your mother’s death was certainly not my doing.”

Tan Qingjiu lowered her gaze, her lashes trembling lightly.

Tan Yun must have believed that she was too young to have known what happened back then, and that so many years had passed, no one could investigate further. That was why he could lie so brazenly, without restraint.

Tan Qingjiu narrowed her eyes. “I understand.”

Tan Yun nodded in satisfaction and added, “Rest assured, though your mother did such disgraceful things, you are still my daughter, my blood. As long as you remain obedient, I will treat you well.”

“Yes.”

Convinced he had given all necessary instructions, Tan Yun waved his hand. “Carry on with your work. I’ll be going. Shen Chang’an made a scene all night, and I spent the night in the palace dealing with it. I’m exhausted.”

“Yes, Father. Take care.”

Only when Tan Yun strode away did the smile slowly fade from Tan Qingjiu’s face.

Beside her, Qingdai could not help but click her tongue. “Tan Yun’s nonsense—who knows how long he rehearsed it? It’s just because Lord Shen made a fuss that he’s feeling guilty, isn’t it?”

After venting, Qingdai turned to Tan Qingjiu. “Miss, do you really mean to let him find someone to impersonate the kidnappers and say those things?”

Tan Qingjiu’s lips curled in a cold, mocking smile. “Of course. Not only will I let him do it, I want you to find someone to play that imposter as well.”

“If it was a kidnapper who abducted me and took my honor, then naturally, there can be a mastermind behind the scenes who ordered it done.”

“As for who that mastermind might be—Tan Yunge and Chen Yurou are perfectly suited for the role.”